MIDLAND,
Mich. — A Syracuse University professor said Friday that he would not endorse
the findings of a school consolidation study in Michigan because his original
research was "misapplied," Michigan Capitol Confidential reported.

Professor
William Duncombe said that it was an "oversimplification" and "extremely naïve"
for a Michigan State University scholar to extrapolate the methodology from
Duncombe's 2001 study on school consolidation to all Michigan public schools,
according to Michigan Capitol Confidential.

MSU
senior scholar Sharif Shakrani used Duncombe's earlier study to underpin
Shakrani's recent study concluding that Michigan could save up to $612 million
annually by consolidating public schools at the county level, Michigan Capitol
Confidential reported.

A
Mackinac Center analyst raised questions of plagiarism soon after Shakrani's
report was released and also questioned its methodology, according to Michigan
Capitol Confidential. MSU is investigating the plagiarism allegation.